Mattress handles



y 1951 w. F. CASTER 2,982,977

MATTRESS HANDLES Filed Oct. 21, 1958 I0 B A\ I TWP H/XB

INVENTOR, WILLIAM F. CASTER.

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ATTORNEY MATTRESS HANDLES William F. Caster, 1540 Sextant, St. Paul, Minn.

Filed Oct. 2'1, 1958, Ser. No. 768,677

8 Claims. (Cl. -345) This invention relates to an improvement in mattress handles and deals particularly with a handle attached to the side wall of a mattress or similar member to facilitate the lifting and handling of the mattress.

For some years, the manufacturers of mattresses have provided spaced handles on each side of the mattress to facilitate the lifting, turning and otherwise handling of the mattress. One of the most common forms of handle constructions comprises a resilient bar secured to overlie the inner surface of a mattress wall and secured in place by grommets extending through the mattress wall. A cord handle is inserted through the grommet and is anchored in place by some type of enlargement on the cord handle. As a result, during the assembly process, it is necessary to first punch openings in spaced relation in the'mattress wall, place the backing bar on the inside of the mattress wall so that apertures in the backing member are aligned with the holes in the mattress Wall, insert grommets through the openings and through the backing member, clinch the grommets in place to hold the backing bar against the wall, and then to insert the cord handle through the grommets and to anchor the handle in place. While the operations of assembling the handle on the wall are relatively simple, they are time consuming and costly. Furthermore, the anchoring means on the inside of the mattress wall are usually of substantial length so that the ends of the cord handle must project through the mattress wall for a substantial distance.

An object of the present invention lies in the provision of a matress handle which is somewhat less expensive than the mattress handle at present in use and which is somewhat simpler to assemble. As a result, the cost of produc ing the handles may be decreased. Since the expiration of the original patent covering handles of this type, the handles have become extremely competitive between a plurality of manufacturers and the saving of even a fraction of a cent in each handle becomes of material importance.

An object of the present invention lies in the provision of a mattress handle construction which eliminates the anchoring means previously attached to the ends of the cord handle to attach the handle to the grommets and backing member. In place of the backing members which were previously employed, I provide a pair of grommets arranged in opposed relation at opposed ends of the cord handle and clinch the hollow shanks of the grommets to the ends of the cord handle in a manner to securely attach the grommets to the handle ends. In conjunction with the grommets, I provide a backing member or a pair of washers designed to inter-lock with the clinched ends of the grommets when the grommets are inserted through the mattress wall. As a result, one step of the assembly process may be eliminated with a corresponding reduction in labor costs. 7

A further feature of the present invention resides .in the provision of a mattress handle including grommets at opposite ends of the cord handle which serve the double purpose of attaching the backing member or mem- United States Patent Patented May 9, 1961 bers to the mattress and also'ofanchoring ends of the cord handle in place. -Thus, the use of both groinwhich are apertured to accommodate the shanks of the grommets and in clinching the grommets in a manner to provide ridges. or projections which interlock with fingers or ears surrounding the apertures. The backing members are often formed of resilient sheet material. In forming the apertures, inwardly projecting ears are produced which are spaced apart a distance somewhat less than the diameter of the grommet shanks. When the grommets are forcedthrough the mattress wall, 'these fingers inter-engage with ridges or projections on the shanks of the rivets to lock the rivets or grommets firmly in place.

Still another feature of the present invention resides in the fact that as it is only necessary for the ends of the cord handle to extend through the hollow shanks of the grommets, the cord handles may be slightly shorter than would otherwise be the case. In View of thefact that the mattress handles are produced in considerable volume, the saving of even a small percentage of the length of the handle is of considerable importance These and other objects and novel'features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specification and claims. In the drawings forming a part of the specification: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a mattress showing the general location of themattress handles, 1

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a mattress wall. at a point closely adjacent.the mattresshandle.

Figure 3' is a plan view of a. backing bar of the type which may be used in conjunction with the handles.

Figure 4. is an enlarged cross sectional View through an end of the backing bar, the position of the section being indicated by the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is an elevational View showing a grommet attached to the end of a cord handle. j I i Figure 6 is an enlarged sectional viewthrough a portion of a mattress wall adjacent one of the handle ends.

Figure 7 illustrates diagrammatically the manner in which the handle is inserted in place.

Figure 8 is a rear elevational view of one end of the backing member illustrated in Figure 3. I

Figure 9 is a plan view of a modified formof handle anchoring means. I

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates in general a mattress A of any suitable type, the mattress usually including a pair of opposed surfaces 10 and 11 which are marginally connected by a mattress wall 12, A pair of mattress handles B are secured to each of twoopposed walls of the mattress A for usejin lifting, turning, or otherwise handling the mattress body. V 7 In preferred form, the handle B includes a back bar 13 which is often constructed of thin resilient-material such as spring steel although material may be used or the back bar may be somewhat rigid. In the particular arrangement illustrated, the bar 13 includeslrounded ends 14 which are strengthened and reinforced by an angularly turned arcuate flange 15 designed to prevent flexing of the end portions of the back bar. V i f As is indicated in the drawings, apertures 16 extend through the backing barl3 near opposite ends thereof. The portions of the backing bar encircling the apertures 16 are preferably notched ina generally radial direction as indicated at 17 to provide angularly pacerareuate cars 19. Theseears 19 are preferably bent along arctiate lines of bend 20 to angle rearwardly from therear surface of, h ack b t n; a i s ma isri 3 ears have a tendency to assist in guiding the ends of the handle through the apertures 16.

Grommets such as 21 are used in conjunction with the back'bar 13. The grommets 21 include ring-shaped outer surfaces 22 which are usuallycurved or rounded to provide a smooth outer surface. Tubular shanks 23 which are siibstantiallyhollow and cylindrical in form encircle the aperture through the ring-shaped outer portion. The outwardly projecting flange 22' acts as a washer to bear against the outer surface of the mattress wall and the tubular shank 23 is normally of proper dimensions to accommodate a cord handle 24 of the type often used in mattress handles of this kind. The cords are usually formed with a woven fabric outer covering which may be madein a suitable color to becompatible with the mattress covering.

In assembling the handle units, the grommets 21 are first attached to the end of a handle cord 24 of the proper length. In this operation, each end of the handle cord 24 is threaded through the hollow tubular shank 23 from the outer side thereof until the end of the handle cord just projects through the extremity of the shank. The shank containing the cord is held within a forming die and the die acts to deform the shank 23 in a manner to form grooves 25 encircling the shank and pressed inwardly against the handle cord to firmly engage the same. In usual practice, the extremity 26 of the hollow shank is also crimped inwardly so as to engage into the cord and to prevent it from being pulled out. This operation may also be carried on by a rotating or rolling die or by rotating the grommet and handle within a die although a reciprocable two-part stamping die has been found to produce good results. The walls of the grooves 25 are formed as squarely as is possible, particularly on the wall of the groove nearest the free extremity of the shank.

In attaching the handle cord 24 to the mattress wall, apertures are punched in the mattress wall 12, the apertures being spaced a distance equal to the spacing of the apertures 16. The backing bar 13 is placed on one side of the mattress wall 12 with the apertures 16 in alignment with the apertures in the mattress wall. One end of the mattress handle may then be inserted through the aligned apertures at one end of the backing member, the grommet being forced inwardly until the ears 19 engage in one of the grooves 25 in the grommet shank 23.

It should be noted that the space between the free or inner end of the ears 19 is somewhat less than the diameter of the grommet shank 23. Thus, in forcing the grommet through the apertures 16, the ears 19 are preferably flexed outwardly to some extent, the natural resilience of the material tending to force the ends of the ears into a groove 25 when the ear ends register therewith. In actual construction, it is not entirely essential that the ears be resilient as when the mattress handle is used, the pull upon the handle cord is at a considerable angle to the axis of the grommet shanks, thus tending to twist the grommets in the apertures 16 and causing the parts to bind together. However, as the backing members are often formed of resilient material as has been previously described, a construction may be formed in Whcih the ears actually engage down into the groove 25 when the handle is assembled.

When the backing bar 13 is formed of the resilient sheet material described, the assembly of the handle is usually completed by bending the mattress wall and backing member into curved form as indicated in Figure 7 of the drawings, thus decreasing the distance between the ends of the backing member. With the handle cord in the position illustrated in full lines in Figure 7 of the drawings, the remaining grommet shank may be inserted throughthe right hand endof the backing bar as viewed in .Figure 7 aswell as through the aperture in the mattress:wall:to position the handle asindicatedin dotted outline in Figure 7. The mattress wall and backing member is then permitted to spring back into flat form, stretching the handle cord tautly between the anchored grommets.

As a comparison between the assembly of the present mattress handle and the mattress handles previously employed, it may be stated that in both instances, apertures are punched through the mattress wall so that these steps are similar in both cases. Inboth cases it is common practice to anchor some element to the ends of the handled cord. However, in the present case the grommets are anchored to the end of the handle cord rather than anchoring members, the anchoring members being eliminated from the combination.

In attaching the previously constructed mattress handles to the wall, it was then usual practice to insert grommets through aligned openings in the mattress wall and backing member and to clinch the rivets in place. It was then necessary to insert the ends of the handle through the grommets and to anchor the ends of the handle in place. One of these two steps of the assembly process is eliminated in the present case.

In Figure 9 of the drawings, I disclose an alternate type of backing member which is somewhat similar in design to the ends of the backing member 13. The backing member is illustrated in general bythe numeral 27 and in the form illustrated is of circular outline. An opening '29 is formed extending axially through the member 27 and outwardly of the aperture 29 are provided angularly spaced notches 30. The portions of the backing member between the notches 30 are bent rearwardly from the plane of the backing member, or forwardly in the position illustrated in Figure 9 to form arcuate ears 31 which extend at an acute angle to the remainder of the backing member. In other words, the backing members 27 are provided with apertures similar to the apertures 16 in the backing member 13 and the apertures are encircled by angularly spaced angularly extending arcuate ears.

The backing members 27 are used and applied in a manner similar to the manner of application of the'backing bar 13, except that one such backing member is attached to each end of the handle cord to form a bearing against the inner surface of the mattress side wall. The handle is inserted while the mattress side wall is flexed in the manner illustrated in Figure 7, and when the side wall is flattened out, the handle becomes taut.

This construction has the disadvantage of lacking a definite spacing means between the ends of the handle cord with the result that the ends of the handle may be pulled together somewhat more easily than where the backing members such as 13 connect the ends of the handle cord. However, as the side wall of the mattress is stretched tightly upon application to the remainder of the mattress, the handle is operable using the backing members shown in Figure 9.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in mattress handles, and While I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A mattress handle for use in conjunction with a mattress wall including a flexible handle cord, backing means positioned against the rear surface of the mattress wall, there being registering apertures through the mattress wall and through said backing means, rearwardly turned ears on said backing means encircling the apertures therein, and means on the ends of said handle cord engaged between the rearwardly turned ears on said backing means, said last named means including a sleeve encircling the end of the cord and attached thereto, and an annular shoulder on said sleeve engaged by the ends of said ears.

2. A mattress handle for use in conjunction with a mattress wall including backing means positioned against the rear surface of the mattress wall, said mattress wall and backing means including registering apertures therethrough, angularly spaced ears on said backing means encircling said apertures and inclined rearwardly and toward the axis of said apertures, a flexible handle cord overlying the outer surface of the mattress wall, and means on the ends of said handle cord extending through said apertures and engaged between said ears, said means on the ends of the handle cord including a groove encircling the same at a locus intermediate the ends thereof, one of said ends thereof having a flange engageable with the mattress wall and the other end thereof being crimped inwardly against the end of said cord in each instance, the ears of said backing member engaging in said groove.

3. A mattress handle for use in conjunction with a mattress wall including backing means positioned against one surface of said mattress wall, said mattress wall and said backing means having aligned apertures therethrough and said backing means having a plurality of resilient ears sloping toward the center of its apertures, a flexible handle cord overlying the opposite surface of said mattress wall between said apertures, grommets including hollow shanks anchored to the ends of said handle cord, each shank being provided with a flange at one end and shoulder means spaced toward the other end, whereby the flanges on said grommets will engage one side of said mattress wall when said grommets are inserted through the apertures thereof and the apertures of said backing means, said resilient ears then engaging said shoulder means, and cooperable means on said grommet shanks and said backing means for locking said grommet shank from withdrawal with said backing means.

4. The construction described in claim 3 and in which said backing means comprises a resilient bar extending between the apertures in said mattress wall and said resilient ears being integral therewith.

5. The construction described in claim 3 and in which said backing means comprises a pair of spaced backing members.

6. A mattress handle for use in conjunction with a mattress wall including backing means positioned against the rear surface of the mattress wall, said mattress wall and backing means including registering apertures therethrough, angularly spaced ears on said backing means encircling said apertures and inclined rearwardly and toward the axis of said apertures, a flexible handle cord overlying the outer surface of the mattress Wall, and means on the ends of said handle cord extending through said apertures and engaged between said ears, each said last named means including a grommet having a hollow shank encircling the cord end and anchored thereto, a

flange at one end of said shank engageable against the outer surface of the mattress wall, and shoulder means on said shank engageable with said ears, the shoulder means being spaced from said flange a distance slightly I greater than the thickness of the mattress wall and backing means whereby said flange is held substantially parallel overlying the outer surface of the mattress wall, and

means on the ends of said handle cord extending through said apertures and engaged between said ears, each said last named means including a hollow shank at least partially encircling said cord and having a peripheral flange thereupon, said shank including shoulder means engageable with said ears, said shoulder means being spaced from said flange a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the mattress wall and backing means, whereby saidv flange is held substantially parallel to the portion of the backing means through which said shank extends.

8. A mattress handle for use in conjunction with a mattress wall including backing means positioned against the inner surface of the mattress wall, said mattress wall and backing means having registering apertures therethrough,

a rearwardly inclined shoulder means encircling each aperture of said backing means, a flexible handle cord overlying the outer surface of said mattress wall, anchor ing means on each end of said handle cord, each anchoring means including a shank at least partially encircling said cord, a flange on said shank and overlyingthe outer surface of the mattress wall, and shoulder means on said shank engageable with the rearwardly inclined shoulder means on said backing means, said shoulder means on said shank being spaced from said flange a distance slightly greater than the thickness of said mattress wall and backing means, whereby said flange is held substantially parallel to the position of the backing means through which said shank extends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,157,251 Tinnerman May 9, 1939 2,236,130 Betebenner Mar. 25, 1941 2,239,798 Tinnerman Apr. 29, 1941 2,359,193 Bechik Sept. 26, 1944 2,703,415 Bechik Mar. 8, 1955 2,860,353 Byer Nov. 18, 1958 

